To reduce the environmental impact of the maritime sector, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established emission limits and ambitious sustainability targets. While superyachts are currently exempt from many of these regulations, they must align with IMO’s objecti
...
To reduce the environmental impact of the maritime sector, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established emission limits and ambitious sustainability targets. While superyachts are currently exempt from many of these regulations, they must align with IMO’s objectives to establish the yachting industry as a responsible sector and adapt to the increasing application of these emission limits. Focusing only on new builds is not sufficient to meet ambitious targets, and sustainable refit of existing yachts is also essential. This applies not only to motor yachts but also to sailing yachts, which face unique challenges due to limited space which further complicates integrating alternative fuels like methanol or hydrogen, given their lower energy density. Despite various studies exploring alternative energy solutions, there remains a research gap in understanding the trade-offs associated with different energy configurations installable in a refit to minimize energy demand and emissions. To address this, an assessment model that evaluate technical feasibility, emissions, docking time, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for different energy configurations is developed. Results from the assessment model, applied to two Royal Huisman sailing yachts of different size across various owner profiles, reveal that integrating alternative energy solutions requires significant reductions in energy demand. Feasible configurations range from using a single fuel HVO configuration for conservative owners to hybrid solutions involving HVO and methanol for more open to changes owners. Ultimately, owners willing to implement various energy reduction methods can achieve several feasible and sustainable configurations.